How Dry is Too Dry? When to Water Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree

Did you know that the #1 cause of sick fiddle leaf fig plants is overwatering? It’s so tempting to water our plants more often than they need in an effort to care for them. I used to overwater all of my houseplants when I was younger because I cared about them so much. But the damage from overwatering can be serious and tough to remedy. You’re much better off under watering your fiddle leaf fig than overwatering. Here’s a guide for exactly when to water your fiddle leaf fig tree.

How Dry is Too Dry?

It’s tough to give a benchmark of how often to water your fiddle leaf fig, because it depends on many factors including:

How good is your drainage?

How large is your container?

How much sun does your plant get?

How large is your plant?

Is it actively growing?

How dry is your environment?

Roughly once a week is a good rule of thumb for when to water, but that may be too much if your plant is in a relatively large container or isn’t getting enough light. To determine when to water, look for signs of a dry plant before you water.

You’ll know it’s safe to water your fiddle leaf fig when you see signs of dryness including:

Slightly droopy leaves

Some wrinkling in younger leaves

Dry soil 2 to 4 inches below the surface

Here’s a photo of my rescue plant, Goose, when he is really ready for a drink.

Letting your plant get very dry before you water it can be scary, but keep in mind that it will perk back up in a few hours! See the “after” picture of Goose, below. With this strategy, you can be sure you’re not killing it with too much water. Overall, you are much better off allowing your plant to dry out a bit between waterings than watering too soon. Try it out for yourself and let me know how it goes!